Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. TAG Heuer is Back as Official Timekeeper for Formula 1 in 2025
TAG Heuer will return as an Official Partner for Formula 1 as the sport celebrates its 75th anniversary.
In an unexpected move and with great noise, LVMH officialised a partnership that was rumoured to be closed for several weeks in October last year. Indeed, LVMH, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, officially signed on as a Global Partner of Formula 1 in a groundbreaking 10-year deal, with what was certainly one of the most important sports sponsorship deals ever. This was the big picture, as we knew the deal included brands like Vuitton and Moët Hennessy. Looking more closely, we knew already that the role of official timekeeper of F1, which had been in the hands of Rolex since 2013, was about to stop, too. And what we expected is now certain, as TAG Heuer has just announced its return as the Official Timekeeper for Formula 1 in 2025.
In our previous article covering the overall deal closed by LVMH, and even if there was no mention of this specific involvement in the group’s press release, we were practically sure that TAG Heuer would become once more the Official Timekeeper for Formula 1 in 2025. Well, things are now official and sealed. And it’s interesting to see the brand back in the position it occupied in the past.
Indeed, the watchmaker founded in 1860 has been closely tied to motorsport for decades, with legendary models like the Monaco and the Carrera being directly influenced by the world of racing. TAG Heuer has a long history with Formula 1, providing timing systems for the sport and establishing relationships with notable teams and drivers. For instance, during the 1960s, Heuer would be closely related to Jochen Rindt, a Formula 1 driver who would go on to win the 1970 World Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships for Lotus posthumously, wearing a Heuer Autavia reference 2446 during his racing career. At the same time, Jack Heuer, then CEO of the family company, made a deal with pilot Jo Siffert to help promote and support the launch of the revolutionary Calibre 11 automatic chronograph by placing a logo on his Rob Walker Lotus 49B – he would race during the 1969 season with the Heuer shield on his race suit as well as wearing a reference 1163 Autavia with white dial powered by the new movement.
From 1971, Heuer worked closely with Ferrari, as the Scuderia was looking for a timing system for their new test track, Fiorano. The company also developed a new device called the Le Mans Centigraph, a key instrument to time the Italian race cars. Heuer’s relationship with Ferrari would run until 1979 before continuing their team partnership with McLaren. In 1985, Heuer was acquired by Techniques d’Avant Garde Group (TAG), which was also the owner of the McLaren Formula 1 team. Finally, in 1992, TAG Heuer became the Official Timekeeper for Formula 1, a role it kept up until 2003.
Of course, this was not the end of TAG Heuer’s connection with Formula 1, as it continued to be one of the major sponsors of McLaren up until 2015. As of the 2016 season, TAG Heuer joined Red Bull Racing and its talented driver, Max Verstappen, 4 times world champion (2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024). 2025 marks the beginning of a new era in the multi-decade story between TAG Heuer and Formula 1, as the Swiss watchmaker becomes once more the sport’s Official Timekeeper. TAG Heuer will have a significant presence both on and off the track through trackside branding, Fan Zone and Paddock Club. The brand also claims that new product ranges are to be expected in relation to Formula 1.
Finally, TAG Heuer’s partnership with Oracle Red Bull will continue alongside its responsibilities as the Official Timekeeper for Formula 1. For more details, please visit TagHeuer.com.
